Title: Who is allowed into the EU?
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Title: Who is allowed into the EU?
Grade 12: CGW 4U – Canadian and World Issues: A Geographic Analysis
Teacher Section
This lesson plan prepares students to conduct a debate about whether Turkey should be
admitted to the European Union. The lesson material provides students with a background on
EU admission processes and on the Turkish situation in relation to the EU. The lesson plan
provides a framework for the debate and a rubric for evaluation. The lesson should be of
interest to students because it touches on issues of European (Western) and Islamic identity,
stability in the Middle East and in Europe, and on treatment of immigrants.
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 2
Hand out #1 EU Enlargement – Background
Briefing: European Union Enlargement (from
www1.carleton.ca/ces/eulearning, Carleton’s educational website on the
European Union)
The European Union is the latest phase in a series of integration developments that started with the
European Coal and Steel Community in 1951. Its initial intention was to make the countries of Western
Europe so interdependent economically that war between them would be impossible while prosperity would
be promoted.
Since then the European Union has gone through a number of
changes and has grown from 6 to 27 countries! View the PowerPoint
presentation "Timeline of the European Union" for a brief history
of the EU.
Accession refers to the process of joining the European Union. Could
you memorize the date of accession for each member state of the EU?
Each country acceding to the Union has had to accept EU rules, but
with each accession the EU has had to adapt and evolve as well.
Source: European Community,
In the chart below, we have included some additional information on 2004
the countries' accession to the European Union.
Member States Accession Information Year of Accession
Belgium • These are the Founder Members of the 1951
France European Union
Germany • In the beginning, these six states formed what
Italy was known as the European Coal and Steel
Luxembourg Community (ECSC), the first of the European
Netherlands Communities and the precursor to the European
Union
Denmark • The United Kingdom applied to join the 1973
United Kingdom European Communities in the 1960s, but was
Ireland unsuccessful because France vetoed the United
Kingdom's accession
• Denmark was the first of the Nordic countries
to join the European Communities
Greece • Together with Spain and Portugal, is part of 1981
the "Mediterranean Round" of enlargement
• Had also recently disposed of an undemocratic
government
Spain • Both of these member states, just shortly prior 1986
Portugal to accession, had undergone a process of
democratization following periods ofDeveloped by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 3
authoritarian rule
Sweden • Referenda were held in each of these countries 1995
Finland on accession to the European Union.
Austria • Norway was one of the candidate countries in
this round of enlargement, but Norwegians
voted no to accession in a nation-wide
referendum
Cyprus • Many of these countries were former Warsaw 2004
Czech Republic Pact states or even former republics of the
Estonia Soviet Union. They have recently stabilized
Hungary their economies and democratized their
Latvia systems of government.
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Bulgaria • These countries joined the European Union in 2007
Romania the latest round of enlargement
To find out more about enlargement, read the Enlargement FAQ. But be sure to come back to this page
to discuss the follow questions with some of your classmates!
Discussion
1. The EU’s Copenhagen Criteria stipulates that in order to join the EU, a
country must:
• be a stable democracy that respects the rule of law, human rights, and
the protection of minorities
• have a functioning market economy, and, adopt the rules, policies and
standards that make up EU law
What other criteria do you think are necessary criteria in order for a country to
join the EU?
2. What do you think are the benefits of EU enlargement for the candidate
countries? For the existing member states? For the rest of the world?
3. What do you think are the disadvantages of EU enlargement for the
candidate countries? For the existing member states? For the rest of the world?
There are currently five EU candidate countries:
• Turkey (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/turkey/index_en.htm)Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 4
• Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-
countries/the_former_yugoslav_republic_of_macedonia/index_en.htm)
• Iceland (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/iceland/index_en.htm)
• Montenegro (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/montenegro/index_en.htm)
• Serbia (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/serbia/index_en.htm)
There is also one country set to accede to the EU in 2013:
• Croatia (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/acceeding-country/croatia/index_en.htm)
DID YOU KNOW...
In December 2009 Serbia became the most recent country to apply for EU
membership. In March 2012, the European Council agreed unanimously to
start negotiations with Serbia, making it an EU Candidate country!
Sources
Click on the image to download
European Commission: Enlargement | FR this booklet, More Unity and
More Diversity: The European
Activities of the European Union: Enlargement | FR Union's Biggest Enlargement.
European Parliament: Committee on Enlargement
DID YOU KNOW...
That after the enlargement in May 2004,
• the European Union's physical area increased by 34%?
• ...and the total population of the EU increased by 105 million
people?!
News
Q&A: EU Enlargement from BBC news, 1 January 2007
La documentation francaise - Elargissement de l'Union Européenne
The Guardian (UK) - Special report on the 2004 EnlargementDeveloped by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 5
Enlargement FAQ
These are just the basics of what you need to know about enlargement. If you want to find out more,
consult the Europa Commission's website on Enlargement.
1. Who can join the EU? Candidates for joining the European Union must be states in
"Europe." This, of course, raises the question of where exactly
Europe starts and ends. Turkey and Russia are considered by
many people European countries, even though most of their
physical territory lies within Asia. North African countries such
as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, which were once colonies of
European countries, are not considered European. (In fact, one
North African country even attempted to apply for European
Union membership. Its application was rejected on the basis
that it was not a European country.)
2. What are the criteria for The accession criteria are called the Copenhagen Criteria. According
joining the EU? to the Copenhagen Criteria, each candidate must:
• be a stable democracy that respects the rule of law,
human rights, and the protection of minorities
• have a functioning market economy
• adopt the rules, policies and standards that make up EU
law
3. What must the EU do to The European Council's December 2000 Treaty of Nice is an agreement
ensure that it is capable of that ensures the EU will be ready to welcome its new members.
absorbing the new members? The Treaty of Nice involves changes to the decision-making
process in the EU, such as:
• new weighting of votes of the member states in the EU’s
governing bodies, such as the Council
• new allocation of seats in the European Parliament
• and more use of majority voting as opposed to strict unanimity
4. What are the advantages of • Enlargement will increase political stability within
EU enlargement for its Europe, rather than erecting new dividing lines
members and for the rest of • Enlargement will increase the size of the single market,
the world? making trade rules and procedures easier for third
countries
• Enlargement will reduce economic disparities
5. What are the new candidate • Turkey, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
countries? (FYROM), Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia.Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 6 Handout #2 - CLASSROOM DEBATE RUBRIC
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 7
Hand out #3 – Debate Roles and Rules
Debate Rules
No put downs. You must raise your hand if it’s not your time to speak.
All members of the debate team must participate. Teams lose 1 point for each interruption. Teams lose 1
point for whispering while another speaker is talking.
Debate Format
Each group will follow the same format:
• 5 minute opening from affirmative
• 5 minute opening from negative
• 4 minute rebuttal from affirmative
• 4 minute rebuttal from negative
• 4 minute rebuttal from affirmative
• 4 minute rebuttal from negative
• 4 minute closing from affirmative
• 4 minute closing from negative
• 10 minute Q & A period from jury if this was the option chosen by the teacherDeveloped by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 8
DEBATE ROLES
Opening Statement Presenter(s): _________________________________________________Gather
the main arguments into an introductory statement.
Rebuttal Presenter(s): _________________________________________________________
Answer the arguments of the other team. These presenters must take notes as the other team is
presenting their arguments and respond to every argument, using specific information to try to refute
them.
Closing Statement Presenter(s): __________________________________________________
Present(s) the closing arguments for the team. It is important to re-iterate the main points used in the
opening statement.Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 9 Handout #4 – Criteria for EU admission The EU Enlargement Process and Criteria What is Enlargement? The process by which new countries become part of the European Union (EU) is known as the Enlargement process. Starting with the original six members of the European community in 1957, there have been six enlargements with the latest taking place in January 2007, bringing the number of EU member states to 27. Enlargement can be best viewed as a process that can extend over several years, or even decades. Getting all of the current Member States to agree to further enlargements is a complicated process involving many stages. Why does the EU want to admit new members? The answer lies in the fundamental goal of the EU itself. The EU developed out of a customs union formed after World War II; part of the reason it was created was to assure create economic interdependence between key European countries like France and Germany would make a new war in Europe less likely. The European Community (the predecessor of the EU) originally had six members; now it has 27. As EU membership has expanded, the common interest of the member countries in creating a common zone of peace, stability, and prosperity has been extended to larger parts of Europe. The EU does not like to see itself as an exclusive club, but open, in principle, to all European countries. Why do countries want to join the EU? Part of the reason lies with economics. Becoming part of the EU has meant rising levels of prosperity because member countries have access to European markets and get economic benefits from EU policies. In other cases, people in a particular country may see themselves as European and therefore want to be part of this important European organization. This was particularly important for countries that were formerly under Soviet (communist) rule and that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. As more countries become members of the EU, being outside of the EU may seem even less desirable. This is because nonmember countries in Europe are affected by the decisions of this important and powerful body, but they don’t have any say in its decisions. Nonetheless some European countries, such as Norway and Switzerland, have decided to stay outside of the EU, although they retain a special sort of close relationship with it. Who can become a member? Like other international institutions the European Union has its own criteria for membership. The membership criteria have developed over time. The Treaty of Rome, which established the European Community in 1957, did not have any stated criteria for membership. The only explicitly stated criterion was that any state that desires to become member of the Community must be a European state. The Maastricht Treaty, which established the European Union in 1992, outlined in general terms the principles on which the European Union was founded, such as liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. According to the Treaty of Maastricht, any European state that respected these principles would be eligible to apply for EU membership. 1 1 Consolidated Version of the Treaty Establishing the European Union, Official Journal of the European Communities, 24 December 2002.p.34. http://eur- lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:321E:0001:0331:EN:PDF
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 10
It was only with the 1993 Copenhagen European Council that the membership criteria were
formulated in an explicit manner. This was shortly after the Soviet Union had collapsed, so many of
the former communist states in Eastern and Central Europe were likely to want to become members
of the EU in the future. So decisions about membership requirements were made with this in mind.
The so-called Copenhagen criteria that were decided upon in l993 had three elements:
⇒ political criteria - stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human
rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
⇒ economic criteria - the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity
to cope with the competitive pressure and market forces within the Union;
⇒ ability to meet membership obligations, namely the ability to adopt the so-called acquis
communitaire, i.e., the full body of EU law relating to political, economic, and monetary
union.
Meeting these criteria is the responsibility of the country aspiring to membership. Another
consideration, however, is internal to the European Union itself, namely, the “capacity of the Union
to absorb new members while maintaining the momentum of European integration.” 2
The 1999 Helsinki European Council marked another important moment with regard to EU
membership. The Helsinki Council not only stressed the importance of the ‘Copenhagen criteria’ for
opening accession negotiations, but it also placed a central importance on the peaceful settlement of
disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter, good neighbourly relations and the
resolution of border disputes by the applicant countries. Moreover, the importance of the Helsinki
European Council is that it shows that, while the Copenhagen Criteria are of central importance for
the opening of the accession negotiations, the individual circumstances of each applicant country
must be taken into consideration as well.
How can a country become a EU member?
The enlargement process can be divided into two phases: the pre-application phase and the post-
application phase.
The ‘pre-application phase’ usually has involved the EU reaching an agreement with the potential
member, which would be a “stepping-stone” to future membership. These pre-application agreements
have various names including: Europe Agreements, Partnership and Association Agreements,
Stabilization and Association Agreements, Accession Partnerships. 3 (The EU has similar agreements
with countries for which future membership is not foreseen, e.g. countries like Ukraine or Russia,
which concluded Partnership and Association Agreements for the first time in the l990s).
Each agreement is individual to the particular country. Hence, in the case of the countries from
Central and Eastern Europe, the Europe Agreements were used as a tool in developing closer ties in
areas like political dialogue, economic cooperation, financial relations, and cultural cooperation.
These agreements lay out general expectations as the country prepares to apply for membership - a
2
European Council in Copenhagen 21-22 June 1993, Conclusions of the Presidency. p.13
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/72921.pdf
3
How does a country join the EU?
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/enlargement_process/accession_process/how_does_a_country_join_the_eu/negotiat
ions_croatia_turkey/index_en.htmDeveloped by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 11 process called ‘conditionality’ because the EU sets conditions for moving the process forward. As the country meets the conditions, the EU extends ‘rewards’, such as movement toward potential membership. Research shows that ‘conditionality’, i.e., ‘promising’ future membership, has worked fairly well in getting countries to make desired reforms. However, in cases where future membership is less certain, conditionality may be less effective because it is not certain that the ultimate reward, i.e., EU membership, will be accorded. The ‘post-application phase for membership’ consists of the Application stage, the Opinion stage, the Negotiation stage, the Ratification and the Implementation stage. Article 49 of the Maastricht Treaty, also known as the Treaty of European Union, requires that “any European state” in order to become a member of the European Union must address its application to the Council of the European Union. Various EU institutions have a role in responding to this application, but finally all existing Member States must agree on admitting the country as a formal candidate for membership on a unanimous basis. The Negotiation stage follows and can be quite extended. The main focus of the negotiations concerns the alignment of the laws of the candidate country with all the laws and regulations of the European Union, which are known as the ‘acquis communautaire’. 4 In total there are 35 chapters of the acquis. The negotiation stage may be a long one and the progress depends on the commitment of both the applicant state and the EU. The chapters of the acquis may be negotiated in any order; sometimes the easier ones are dealt with first and the harder ones later. It can be costly and difficult for the candidate country to meet all the requirements laid out in the ‘acquis communautaire’. For one thing, EU practices and policies may conflict with historical practice and traditions of the candidate country. For another, most candidate countries are not as wealthy as current EU Member States so meeting requirements, for example environmental standards of the EU, can be costly. The European Commission, which is the executive organ of the European Union, is in charge of the negotiations with the candidate country. Once the European Commission recommends acceptance of the new member, all of the current Member States must agree. The Treaty of Accession must be ratified by each one and by the applicant state. This Ratification Stage is crucial, since it might result in the non-ratification of the Accession Treaty. This, for instance, was the case with Norway in 1995 where the Treaty of Accession was rejected in the referendum held for its ratification. After the ratification, the Treaty of Accession enters into force and that is the day when the applicant becomes a Member State of the European Union. The Treaty of Accession often provides for transition periods for the new EU member to realize all of its obligations involved in adopting EU law. In conclusion, the path to EU membership is a complex one not only for the aspiring state, but for the European Union and its Member States as well. The membership criteria raise certain concerns. Is geographical proximity necessary? What makes a state European? Is this a geographic or a cultural trait (or both)? Where are the limits of Europe or should Europe have ‘limits’? How many states can the EU take in without compromising its ability to function well? Is bigger better? Will those countries that are not allowed to join be resentful, fuelling tensions between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’? These and many other important questions make enlargement a fascinating aspect of the European Union. 4 How does a country join the EU? http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/enlargement_process/accession_process/how_does_a_country_join_the_eu/negotiat ions_croatia_turkey/index_en.htm
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 12 Currently there are five countries that have been given the status of ‘candidate’ countries. These are Turkey, Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro, and Serbia. Croatia is now an ‘acceding’ country, set to joint the EU in 2013. Other countries, such as Ukraine, aspire to membership, but do not have candidate status. Finally, some countries, like Russia, have not expressed a desire to join the EU.
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 13 Handout #5 – Background on the Turkish case Backgrounder on Turkey (For additional information see http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/turkey/index_en.htm) History Turkey is one of the many countries that emerged from the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War (1914-1918). The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 by a peace treaty that concluded the War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, who was later honored with the title Ataturk, which, in the Turkish language means, “Father of the Turks”. It was at this time that the new Turkey received its international recognition within what are today its present frontiers. Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal the new Turkey underwent major reforms in its economic, political, social and cultural realms. The ideology that was followed while undergoing these reforms was based on six essential principles: nationalism, statism, populism, republicanism, secularism and reformism. These principles constitute the roots of the Republic of Turkey. 5 Geographically Turkey is located in Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia, where it spans an area of 783,562 km² and is neighbored by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Turkey has a population of 72 million out of which the Muslim religion constitutes 99.8% and Christian, Jewish and others constitute the remainder. The population is distributed between the urban and rural areas as 67% and 33% respectively. 6 With regard to its political background, Turkey has experienced an array of different types of party rule since its establishment. From its inception there was one-party rule until in the 1950s an opposition party entered the political arena. From that moment onwards Turkish political life has been characterized by multi-party rule; however there have been three particular moments (1960, 1971, 1980) when the democratic process was disturbed by military coups. In 1974 Turkey intervened militarily in Cyprus under its right given by the Treaty of Guarantee in order to preserve the independence of Cyprus and protect the Turkish Cypriot community. 7 Since 1984 Turkish security concerns have been mainly focused on the separatist insurgency of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey has been a member of the UN since 1945 and a member of NATO since 1952. Turkey first applied for membership in what was then known as the European Economic Community in 1959 and since then relations with the EEC/EU have played an important role in Turkey’s politics. In preparing for accession negotiations with the European Union, Turkey has undergone many political, economic and social reforms. 8 Turkey- EU relations 5 Historyteacher.net, “Mustafa Kemal, Atatürk (1881-1938).” http://www.historyteacher.net/GlobalStudies/Readings/Ataturk-biography.pdf (Accessed: June 2012) 6 Turkey for Holidays, “Parliamentary System in Turkey.” http://www.turkeyforholidays.com/Parliamentary- System.html (Accessed: July 2010) 7 Oberling, Pierre. (1982) “The Road to Bellapais. The Turkish Cypriot Exodus to Northern Cyprus.” New York: Columbia University Press. 162-163. 8 Central Intelligence Agency. “The World Factbook: Turkey.” https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/tu.html (Accessed: October 2007)
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 14 Since its inauguration the leaders of Turkish Republic followed a policy of Westernization. After the disruptions of the Second World War the Turkish leadership pursued the involvement of Turkey in the Western international institutions such as NATO and the Council of Europe (distinct from the European Union). In 1957 Turkey submitted its application for associate membership to the European Economic Community (EEC). Even though regarded as premature, there were various reasons for this application. Apart from the economic help that Turkey could get from association with such an important organization, Turkey saw this as an opportunity for consolidating its position into the Western world. Moreover, Turkey was concerned that if Greece was included in this organization than Turkey’s international political leverage might be undermined. 9 Thus, the application for association with the European Community marks the beginning of formal relations between Turkey and the European Community. In 1963, Turkey and the European Community signed an Association Agreement, also known as the “Ankara Agreement”. This agreement stipulated the establishment of a customs union in three different phases and it recognized the prospect of Turkish membership. In 1970 Turkey and the European Community signed an additional protocol towards completion of the customs union. As a result of the military coup of 1980 the relations between Turkey and the European Community went through an impasse. However, in 1987 Turkey applied for full membership in the European Community, following in this way the right that was given to Turkey by the “Ankara Agreement”. Thus, Turkey applied for membership three years before Cyprus and Malta and around seven and nine years before the Central and Eastern European countries. Yet these countries are already members of the European Union while Turkey was able to initiate accession negotiations only in 2005. While there have been many important moments in the EU-Turkish relations, two are particularly important. In 1995 Turkey and the EU completed the customs union agreement that was initiated by the “Ankara Agreement” and in 1999 at the Helsinki European Council Turkey was recognized as a candidate country on an equal footing with other candidate countries. The result of the 1999 Helsinki European Council is particularly important because implicitly it resolves the issue of whether Turkey may become part of the European Union. By providing Turkey with candidate status, the European Union showed that Turkey is eligible to be a member of the Union, alongside other candidate states. Nonetheless, another important point about the1999 Helsinki European Council is that it stressed that all candidate countries can enter the enlargement process on equal footing, but at the same time they will be evaluated on an individual basis with regard to opening accession negotiations. Therefore, the Copenhagen Criteria could be the basis of evaluation, but other criteria could be applied depending on the individual situation of each country. Thus, for Turkey issues such as respect for human rights, respect for minorities, establishment of stable relations with Greece and a political settlement on Cyprus under the auspices of the UN became criteria, in addition to the Copenhagen Criteria. On October 3, 2005, following the recommendation of the European Commission, the European Council formally endorsed the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey. 10 Turkey’s relations with the European Union go back a long time. From the Turkish perspective this path is seen as consistent with the founding principles of the Republic of Turkey. These principles 9 Yasemin Celik (1999): Contemporary Turkish Foreign Policy London. Praeger. 10 Negotiating Framework – October 2005, http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/turkey/st20002_05_tr_framedoc_en.pdf (Accessed: July 2010)
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 15 require a determined path to modernization and development; membership in the European Union gives Turkey the rationale for pursuing that aim. Furthermore, such reforms and relations with the EU can help Turkey to maintain security and stability in its relations with its northern, eastern and southern neighbors. 11 Nonetheless, as in every instance of EU enlargement, the decision about whether to accept Turkey as an EU member has elicited many arguments for and against. One has to consider both of them carefully in order to be able to understand the complexities associated with Turkey’s path to EU. Why Turkey Should Not Be a Member of the European Union There were many factors that delayed the European Union from opening accession negotiations with Turkey. These range from political and economic instability in Turkey itself to questions about the desirability of Turkish accession to the European Community/European Union. The official reasons given by the European Commission in its annual reports about Turkey usually referenced the inability of Turkey to fulfill the 1993 Copenhagen Criteria. However, beyond this official line there have been several other concerns regarding Turkey’s accession. Firstly, in terms of political criteria Turkey has been criticized for its record on human rights. Most particularly these relate to the following: the treatment of the Turkish Kurds, the functioning of democracy in Turkey, and the political role of military. Turkey has had three military coups since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. Moreover, with respect to the founding principles of the Turkish Republic, the military is seen as the ‘guardian’ of secularism. Second, regarding economic criteria, Turkey has been advised that its economy needs further liberalization and modernization before it can meet the conditions required for operating effectively within the internal market of the EU. Moreover, given Turkey’s large population, its large agricultural sector and the relative economic backwardness, Turkey would place heavy demands on EU resources, i.e., it would ‘drain’ funds from important EU programs such as the Common Agricultural Policy, the Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds. In this way, other EU countries might have to make significant economic sacrifices in order to provide Turkey with membership benefits. Furthermore, other economic problems affect Turkey. Turkey has suffered several financial crises and its economic instability is a concern for the Union, since one member’s unstable economy could have serious repercussions for the economies of other Member States. Additionally, not only are macro problems a concern but other concerns which affect the economy include bureaucratic barriers, high corporate taxes, and corruption. 12 Another structural problem is the inability of Turkey to fulfill the environmental acquis. Most cities in Turkey are not equipped with the infrastructure needed to meet EU environmental and sustainable development standards. 13 Third, concerns have been raised as to whether it is in the interest of the EU to admit a country whose population is mostly Muslim. Some see Turkey as only partly European, as well as Asian. This is true in a geographic sense, but is Turkey European in a cultural sense? Those who do not see Turkey as fundamentally European are also concerned that Turkish accession would push the borders of the 11 Flam, Harry. “Turkey and the EU: Politics and Economics of Accession” CESifo Economic Studies, Vol. 50, 1/2004. http://cesifo.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/50/1/171.pdf (Accessed: July 2010) 12 Hughes, Kristy. (June 2004) “Friends of Europe. Turkey and the European Union: Just Another Enlargement? Exploring the Implications of Turkish Accession”. p.13 http://www.cdu.de/en/doc/Friends_of_Europe_Turkey.pdf (Accessed: October 2007) 13 Ibid. 206
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 16 Union too far into Asia, resulting in even greater migration flows into the EU from distant and culturally distinct regions. The result could be decreases in the wage rate, rising levels of unemployment, ‘culture clashes’ within Europe, and resultant frictions and social unrest.14 Furthermore, the further expansion of the Union would impede the European Union from ‘deepening’ the level of integration between its current members because challenges of size would make this unfeasible. Such an argument is indeed powerful following the big enlargements of 2004 and 2007, which have already placed strains on the capacity of European Union to resolve some of its own internal problems. Why Turkey Should Be a Member in European Union There are several reasons why Turkey is an important country for the European Union to consider as a member. First, Turkey is an important factor in Europe’s security. Not only is Turkey a NATO member but it also borders several unstable regions, including Iraq and countries in the Caucasus region. As a Muslim country that has embraced Westernization, Turkey could potentially serve as a ‘bridge’ between East and West. Turkey is therefore an important partner for Europe as it seeks to stabilize relations with the Islamic world, in the Middle East and with Asia. Moreover, the accession of Turkey to the European Union could reinforce the principle of multiculturalism within the EU. There are already large numbers of Muslims living in current EU countries; with Turkey as an EU member, the reality of Europe’s multicultural and multi-faith character would become an irrefutable social fact. Many have argued that if Turkey became an EU member, the vision of the Union would move more towards the acceptance and promotion of cosmopolitan values and multiculturalism. 15 Additionally, EU membership would reinforce the impetus toward democracy, equality and human rights within Turkey itself. 16 Second, in the economic sphere, Turkey potentially offers a large market and is one of the largest trading partners of the EU. Increased integration with the Turkish market would be beneficial to the EU because it would open up expanded investment opportunities as well. Membership in the European Union would benefit Turkey as well, because flows of foreign direct investment would likely increase, fuelling economic growth, reducing unemployment and reinforcing economic stability. 17 Moreover, not only does Turkey provide a large market internally, but its closeness to Middle Eastern countries and the Caucasus region could provide European investors with easier access to economic opportunities in these countries. Third, Turkey’s varied demographic profile would be beneficial for the European Union. While there is already a large Turkish population in many EU countries (usually economic immigrants who sought work there over the past several decades), Turkey’s EU accession would normalize their position; as citizens of the EU, Turkish labourers would gain full employment rights. With declining birthrates in many European countries, Turkish immigrants could fill important gaps in the labour 14 Flam, Harry. “Turkey and the EU: Politics and Economics of Accession” CESifo Economic Studies, Vol. 50, 1/2004. http://cesifo.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/50/1/171.pdf (Accessed: July 2010) 15 Hughes, Kristy. (June 2004) “Friends of Europe. Turkey and the European Union: Just Another Enlargement? Exploring the Implications of Turkish Accession”. p.24 http://www.cdu.de/en/doc/Friends_of_Europe_Turkey.pdf (Accessed: October 2007) 16 Cem, Ismail. (June-August 2000) “Turkey and Europe: Looking to the Future from an Historical Perspective”. Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. http://sam.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/IsmailCem.pdf (Accessed: June 2012) 17 Akat, Asaf Savas. “Viewpoints: Turkey’s EU Hopes”. BBC News, Tuesday, 14 December, 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3703560.stm#league (Accessed: October 2007)
Developed by EU Learning, www.EULearning.ca 17 market. 18 Moreover, the level of skill and education in Turkey is rising, making the Turkish workforce more and more suitable to fill European labour market needs. 19 In conclusion, the question of Turkey’s membership in the European Union is a complex one. Ties between the EU and Turkey are already close and the opening of accession negotiations in 2005 has given Turkey’s government stronger hope towards membership. These hopes can help to fuel needed reforms, since such reforms are a condition for progress toward actual membership. Negotiations of the acquis are, however, moving ahead at a slow pace. The halting progress has contributed to skepticism among the Turkish public about EU accession; support seems to be falling as obstacles seem to some to be unending. Useful Links: Centre for European Studies- EU learning http://www1.carleton.ca/ces/eulearning The EU at Glance http://europa.eu/abc/index_en.htm Q&A: BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4107919.stm Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.mfa.gov.tr/default.en.mfa Activities of the European Union-Enlargement http://europa.eu/pol/enlarg/index_en.htm Country Profile-Turkey http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/turkey/index_en.htm Turkish Cypriot Community http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/turkish_cypriot_community/index_en.htm 18 Hughes, Kristy. (June 2004) “Friends of Europe. Turkey and the European Union: Just Another Enlargement? Exploring the Implications of Turkish Accession”. p. ii http://www.cdu.de/en/doc/Friends_of_Europe_Turkey.pdf (Accessed: October 2007) 19 Ibid. p.16
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